


You Were Just Gone

by punkskully



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, bethyl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-22
Updated: 2014-12-11
Packaged: 2018-02-26 13:57:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2654516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkskully/pseuds/punkskully
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl watched her carefully, he made sure to keep his head low and his eyes covered. He knew everyone had seen the way he’d run to her when they’d all stormed the hospital. But since then, he’s kept his distance. He’d spent so long with her just being gone. That he’d forgotten what it was like to have her back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I aint ever been good at talking about my feelin's

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So I've been posting most of my Bethyl stuff on Tumblr just because I didn't think it was at a point where I wanted to bring it on here. Anyways, I hope you like this one. I'm thinking of making a part two just so I can finish their convo(maybe more?). Sorry if you're looking for smut, this is mostly just going to be them expressing their feelings!!  
> Thanks for reading ✿◠‿◠)

Daryl chewed on the tips of his nails and watched the youngest Greene tend to the little ass kicker, Judith. It'd been only three days since the family had gotten back together and through all of the turmoil everything had gone back to some semblance of normality. Daryl watched her carefully, he made sure to keep his head low and his eyes covered. He knew everyone had seen the way he'd run to her when they'd all stormed the hospital. But since then, he's kept his distance. He'd spent so long with her just being gone. That he'd forgotten what it was like to have her back.

He'd had plenty of chances to talk to her in alone. But he made sure that never happened. Always had something else to do, somewhere else to be. Right now, he sat close by watching her change Judith's diaper and instead of saying hello he just chewed his nails until they bled.

Beth was humming, he couldn't figure out the song. Probably some damn hymn from church, but he listened. Out of the corner of his eye watched her sooth Judith and in its own way soothed him. He stopped chewing his nails and relaxed. He surveyed the camp and saw everyone was moving around. Not paying any attention to the two of them. He thought about maybe saying he missed her humming;But that sounded stupid and he shook the though out of his head.

Beth lifted the baby into her arms and rocked her on her hip. Her hums grew louder until it turned into singing and Daryl felt the bottom of his stomach lift into his throat. He remembered when he asked her to keep singing at the funeral home. It was one of the last good times they'd had together. He was lost in everything they'd been through and had no idea how to talk about it.

Daryl kept himself busy now with his knife, he threw it down into the trunk of a tree and got lost in the tump, thump, thump each time the blade stuck in.

Beth's voice was just ringing in his head. It was like a drum beating against his skull until he finally said, "I missed your singing."

Beth almost didn't register that Daryl had spoken, but she had been waiting for some word from his for days. She didn't want to pressure him so she'd given him his space. But she'd remembered the way he'd hugged her when they were finally together at the hospital; how tightly he'd held on to her and lifted her feet off the ground. His touch haunted her every single day. 

"What was that?" She pretended she hadn't heard him say he missed her singing. She stopped rocking Judith and just watched him. He was throwing this knife against the tree, refusing to even look at her. She smiled just a little knowing how uncomfortable he was now talking to her.

"I said, I missed your singing" he tilted his head just a little, letting the setting sun paint his face. He didn't let the look linger, he went back to throwing the knife. Thump, thump, thump, Beth thought it sounded like her heart beating.

"I thought you said my singing annoyed you" she remembered saying the same thing to him at the funeral home. And in true Daryl fashion his first reaction was to scoff, make a noise that was somewhere between a small laugh and breath escaping. "You know that ain't true" not taking his eyes away from the knife, throwing the blade a little too hard into the trunk of the tree.

Beth didn't respond, instead she just picked up singing again, but this time it was a little louder.

Daryl chewed on this lip, listening to the girl sing a song he was way too familiar with. The lyrics had stuck in his head from the night he'd ask her to keep singing at the funeral home. He only knew the few lines that Beth had sang then, but those lines had lingered with him. He would replay them in his mind when he missed her something awful for all those weeks.

"And we'll buy a beer to shot gun. We'll lay in the lawn, and we'll be good" the melody had haunted Daryl. He'd replayed the memory over and over in his head and now it was finally in his face and it felt like seeing a ghost. Daryl threw the knife into the trunk before storming off.

"Daryl! Where are you going ?!" Beth set Judith down and hollered for Tyreese to watch her for a moment.

Daryl was halfway through the tree line when she finally caught up to him. "Daryl! Wait! Where are you going!" She was closing in on him, but he refused to turn around.

Daryl wiped his face before screaming behind him, "Don't follow me girl" his voice was strained from tears. Beth stopped dead in her tracks, "Daryl, stop. Please"

He knew if he stopped and took one look at beth right now he would cry. It took a lot for him to admit that, thinking about crying only made me more pissed off.

Before leaving camp, he'd grabbed his crossbow. He was thankful for that because all he wanted to do right now was kill something. He paced back and forth before finally shooting a squirrel down. The body dropped. Beth didn't say a word. Just stood there silently. "Go back to camp" Daryl shot another arrow and another squirrel dropped. "Beth, get the hell outta here." He shot down another squirrel.

"I'm not gonna leave you", Beth's voice but quiet but unwavering. 

Daryl stopped mid aim. He let the bow go limp in his arms and looked up towards the tree line. He was reliving a nightmare.

The silence between them lingered for a longtime. He was fighting back all of these feelings that were boiling up inside of him.

He shuffled his feet and took a deep breath before taking his crossbow and breaking it over and over into a nearby tree. He screamed until the crossbow broke into pieces and he threw whatever was left out into the nothingness of the forest.

"Daryl! Stop it! Stop" her arm was grabbing onto him.

Feeling her touch made him jerk his arm away. Taking a few steps back before looking up at her, "You were gone. You were just gone, Beth."

There was a pause before he cried out, "You were gone. It would have been easier if you'd been dead. But you were gone because I wasn't there to protect you."

Beth just stood there and listened to the man that up until this point had been a rock. This man who was always so stoic, who she had accused of not feeling anything or giving a crap at all. But right now he was feeling it all. She reached out for him again but he pushed her hands away. "It wasn't your fault Daryl" she was close. He could feel the proximity of her skin and it made him shiver. He moved away trying to catch his breath. "Daryl, I was kidnapped. They would have killed you" he didn't want to hear it he just kept shaking his head. "I should have tried harder"he fell to his knees and started to pick up the prices of his crossbow.

"Daryl, listen to me" she moved over and knelt down next to him. "You know what kept me going when I was stuck in there ?" He didn't say a word he just fingered the pieces of broken metal and swallowed hard. "You did. You taught me how to be strong. I'll never forget that"

She wrapped her arms around Daryl's shoulders just as she did that day at the moonshine shack. Throwing them back into the memory of the first time she'd held him when he'd broken down. She held onto him tight. "I'm here. I'm not dead. You found me and you brought me back."

Daryl's breath was hitched. 

"We gotta put it behind us, Daryl. We can't hold on to the bad anymore. You hear me?" Beth's face was so close as she whispered the words into his ear. "You hear me?"

Daryl's body lunged forward slipping out of Beth's grasp. He punched the ground before turning back to her, finally looking into her eyes, "You think we can move on, we can get past this?" Beth couldn't decide if he meant what had happened between them or the world going to hell but decided that by saying yes it would keep the hope alive. "I think we can, we just gotta believe in somethin''

Daryl rubbed his hands over his face before pushing the hair behind his ears. "I'm not very good at all this, shit" He rubbed the sides of his face before standing up from the ground.

Mirroring his motion Beth quickly stood waiting for Daryl to continue. She knew he wasn't good at saying the things he felt but she hoped that maybe he was wanting to say something else. "I, uh, don't know what this is. I aint ever talked about my feelings. You know, Merle never really let me keep the good ones around. Always gave me shit for it." He cleared his throat, "I got this book, well I found this book when me and Carol were in Atlanta looking for you." Daryl's feet shifted in the dirt. Beth kept quiet and waited for him to finish. This was the most she'd heard Daryl speak since the Moonshine shack and she could tell he'd been working hard to spit it all out.

"It's helping me with stuff, you know, shit that happened when I was a kid. I, uh, thinking it's good for me. I've been wantin' to show it to you. I don't know why"

Beth took a deep breath before exhaling the fog, the sun had set and the air was getting crisp. "What kind of book is it?" a shiver moved down her spin waiting for Daryl's response.


	2. Let's Go Back To Camp And Be A Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth’s body was shivering in the cold as she listened to Daryl talk about pieces of his childhood. He never fully explained everything, only hinted at the torture his father put him through and the tainted memories of his absent mother. After a few moments Beth inched her way towards him, he was lost in thought; rambling about the few good memories he had of Merle. Beth tried not to react to them, to her, these memories didn’t sound happy at all. But she knew that this was all Daryl had to hold on to so she let it go. It wasn’t her place to tell him he was wrong. Right now, she was here to listen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I was really bored at work and getting kinda emotional about Bethyl stuff on tumblr (I know embarrassing) so I decided to add another chapter. I guess this is turning into a WIP so stay tuned :) !!

Beth's body was shivering in the cold as she listened to Daryl talk about pieces of his childhood. He never fully explained everything, only hinted at the torture his father put him through and the tainted memories of his absent mother. After a few moments Beth inched her way towards him, he was lost in thought; rambling about the few good memories he had of Merle. Beth tried not to react to them, to her, these memories didn't sound happy at all. But she knew that this was all Daryl had to hold on to so she let it go. It wasn't her place to tell him he was wrong. Right now, she was here to listen. 

"You know, me and Merle just drifted around. If someone beat the shit outta him, they beat the shit outta me too. I always stood by him even when he was wrong. I know he was wrong now. But he was my brother, you know?", Daryl cocked his head to the side and saw Beth moving toward him. "Daryl, I can't imagine what it must have been like for you. " She was finally at his side again, this time he didn't flinch when she reached for his hand and entwined her fingers. "All I know is that under all that Merle you were stuck under, was you. You were never like Merle. You might have put on a show, but Daryl, you're a good man. You've proved that over and over." Daryl squeezed the young girls hand. "I wanna get better. I wanna take care of everyone, take care of you." 

Beth let her hands fall from Daryl's grasps before sighing. She took a few steps back before turning back to look at Daryl, "I don't need you to take care of me." The distance between the two was apparent. Daryl opened his mouth to say something but Beth interrupted. " I am strong, Daryl. I'm done with everyone taking care of me", Beth paused before searching Daryl's face, locking her eyes with his, "I'm tired of everyone thinking I'm weak, that I can't do this." She didn't know if she was trying to convince herself or the man staring at her. Daryl took a step forward, "You ain't weak Beth. I never thought you were." It was Daryl's time to wrap his arms around the girl. She was ice but he folded his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. 

Several moments go by before either say a word, Daryl is the first to speak up and break the silence, " Sorry if I scared you earlier"  
Beth didn't say a word, she only nuzzled into Daryl more before whispering, "nothin' scares me anymore." This only made Daryl hold onto her tighter, he rested his head on the top of her head before breathing out, "You shouldn't say that. We gotta stay scared, it's what makes us keep alive."

Beth didn't respond she just stayed in that warm space that felt safe.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beth didn't remember walking but at some point they must have unwrapped themselves and made their way to camp. On the way there the closeness they'd achieved had started to fade. They went from a tangled mess to walking shoulder to shoulder, to just holding hands to finally entering the glow of camp barely within walking distance to each other. Beth was ahead of Daryl but that didn't stop her from turning her head to look back at him constantly. She didn't understand why he was lagging so far behind her now. She headed towards the fire in hopes he would meet her there. 

 

Daryl let the girl walk ahead of him. He wasn't ready for everyone to see their interaction, so he fell back into the tree line and let her head over to the fire to warm herself up. Near the fire he saw the group adjust to fit Beth by the fire, Rick had stood up to offer her his seat before making his way over to Daryl. 

"Gettin' cold out here. Wanna get close to the fire there?" Rick was standing a few feet away and gesturing towards the warmth. Daryl felt his defenses rise but instead of making some snarky remark he just shook his head, " Nah, thinking about gatherin' more wood." Rick nodded, in the few years he'd come to know Daryl he'd realized that the man would say anything other than what he was actually wanting to say, Rick never pressured him. "You know, it's uh, getting pretty dark out there Daryl, don't know if it would be safe to go out on your own." He wanted to make sure Daryl remembered that he was family. That at that camp fire was home. "Yeah, I know, just thought we could use some before we run out." Rick searched his brothers face, he could tell by the puffiness around his eyes he'd been crying but he would never ask him if he'd been. Rick decided that he was done with people being alone, he nodded to himself before starting off.

"Well let's get some wood then." Rick started to make his way into the woods when he heard Daryl holler to him," I don't need you to come, I got this."

"Where's your crossbow?" Rick shot back. 

Daryl shifted awkwardly before answering, "Don't matter, I got my knife if I run into any trouble."

"That's not what I mean." Rick had stepped in front of Daryl and put a hand on his shoulders. "You think no one heard you out in the woods but we did." Daryl back away from Rick. Rick took his hands off Daryl shoulder and put them in the air, Rick had always thought of Daryl as an animal at times and right now he could tell he was like a raw nerve. Ready to explode. 

"You don't know shit, Rick." Daryl was looking at the ground. He wasn't ready to talk about this with Rick. 

"Daryl, it's alright. We don't have to talk about it. I just don't want you doing something stupid." Rick paused, he wanted to make sure Daryl was hearin' him. "Listen, you got a girl back there that cares about you. Now, if you cared even a little about her you'd think..." Before Rick could finish his sentence Daryl was in his face, "Don't you talk about Beth and me, you don't know shit." the man growled in his face.

Rick didn't fight Daryl, he let the man take out his feeling's the best way could,"Daryl, you care. I know you care. I saw you fight to get her back, Brother. I just don't want it to be for nothing."

"It ain't gonna be!" Daryl, screamed into Ricks face. 

"Then let's go back to camp, let's get by that fire. You sit down next to that girl and you be there with her. You knock this shit off, you stop fighting everyone and every feeling. You're family." 

Daryl let go of Rick's shoulder before taking a few steps back and breathing out a heavy sigh, and just nodded his head.


	3. I Ain't Gonna Scream It From The Mountain Tops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all are enjoying this! I'm having a blast writing it :) I really don't have a set plan on how many chapters it'll go. (Shout out to Lindsey W for all her help!!!)

Rick had done a good job at putting things in perspective for Daryl, but it still took a lot of convincing to get him back to the fire. Rick had walked in step with Daryl on their way back before throwing a hand on the back of his shoulders to assure him this was a good choice. Night had set in and the stars were bright and Daryl was shedding all the weight from his past with every step he took closer to the flame. He was staring at the fire like it was the light at the end of his tunnel. 

He could spot her anywhere, but it helped that her voice was ringing out through the trees. They all knew it would draw walkers in but sometimes you just need to remember the sweet things in the world were still alive. 

Rick had entered the glow of the fire, nodding to the other survivors who returned the gesture. Before sitting down he grabbed a log of wood to throw on top of the flames, "I think we could afford another one, just for tonight." And settled down near Carl, pulling the baby from his sons arms and onto his lap. Judith reached her arms up for her father. Beth was still singing away with her eyes closed swaying with each passing note that rang through her lips.

Daryl stood nearby, just outside the ring of his family and watched Beth Greene lose herself in happiness. He stepped closer to the flame but kept his eyes on the blonde getting lost in her music. Everyone watched as Beth Greene finished her song and stayed rocking back and forth for a few moments letting the last few bars turn into a hum. Her face was painted with the colors of the camp fire and her smile was wide across her face when she opened her eyes. The group all thanked her with low claps and she just smiled shyly before thanking them for listening. She looked around the fire before finally seeing his face, it was shadowed but she knew it was him. He'd come back, he'd found her by the fire. 

She smiled wide at the man staring at her, so much had happened between them today. They were back where they had started this afternoon. A lifetime had happened between them in such a few short hours, but that's how life was now. Life was constantly changing and your life was always in the balance. It took only a moment for someone to blow your candle out. Beth didn't want want her candle to go out, she knew that now. She'd known it for a long time, too. There had been moments when she'd wanted to give up, but there was a fire burning inside of her now that was sparked the second she realized she could survive this world. She could do it, and she would. She would survive it and she wouldn't forget about the beautiful things left in it, too. Like singing, because she still sang. 

Daryl gave her a weak smile before turning and heading off into darkness again. Beth quickly stood giving everyone a nod goodnight before stepping quickly after him. He was making his way to his tent when Beth called for him, "What the hell are you doing?" He turned around to face the girl. She was standing with both hands on her hips and eyes full of rage. He only shrugged. This sent Beth into a rage. She was done fighting with him over this. "You know what, I'm done. I can't do this with you right now. You've had me on this roller coaster all day Daryl. You spill all of this on me. I tell you I want to be there for you!" She started breathing heavily, she didn't want to cry so she stops staring him down. "Then you leave again, you should have come sit next to me at the fire but you didn't." 

Daryl just watched as the girl let her feelings go. 

"Are you embarrassed about me?" She finally asked. The question was barely audible. She was close to crying and hung her head down before finishing, she couldn't look at him, "do you not like me like that?" She could hear Daryl's rushed footsteps moving towards her, she decided if she was going to be rejected she would be strong and face it down. She had faced death. Multiple times, but something about feelings not being reciprocated by someone she'd spent so long holding on to was so much harder than someone wanting to kill you. 

Beth had lifted her head her eyes still closed and squared her shoulders off. She told herself to open her eyes and take whatever rejection Daryl was ready to dish. But as soon as she opened her eyes something warm pressed against her lips. 

It was Daryl. 

His kiss was softer than she'd expected it to be, It was delicate, and as he moved his lips on her she could feel her own give way. He ran his hands over her arms moving into her hair and lingering at the base of her neck allowing him to move her as his kisses grew deeper. He pulled away from her letting his mouth press one more peck on the corner of her lips before whispering, "I ain't embarrassed 'bout you, just don't know what to say sometimes." 

Beth had let her head hang low the second Daryl removed his lips. She listened as he reassured her it wasn't anything to do with her. "I ain't ever felt like this Beth. I told you, I got stuff to work out. I can't tell you all the time how much you mean to me." Beth's head shot up, " that ain't what I'm wanting from you Daryl." She moved away from his arms, "All I want you to do is admit you like me. That I'm more than just your friend. That what we went through actually matters. I don't need you to scream it from the mountain tops. I just need you to say it to me." Beth's voice was full of anger towards the man. All she needed was for him to admit he felt something for her, "I'm tired of feeling like I don't mean nothing to you."

"Girl, you know that ain't the truth" He stepped closer to Beth, closing the distance she'd set between them. "I don't wanna say I love you, 'cause I don't know what it means. But I care about you, more than I even care about myself." He let his hand reach to her chin, tilting her face up so he could look into her eyes. " When you were gone. I thought about you every day." Beth interrupted him, "I know, you told me." She had heard this all before.

"No, What I'm meaning is you were all I thought about. I did the dumbest shit to get you back. I put Carol in danger, I left the group to run after that damn car. I nearly drove myself crazy thinking about you." He paused and pulled away from Beth. "I wanna show you something, stay here."

Daryl turned and walked over to his tent and disappeared inside for only a few moments before returning. In his hand was a knife, he unsheathed it as he walked back to her. He pushed the blade into her hands, "I’ve had this the whole time.” She looked down at the knife, it wasn’t anything special, but it was clean and sharp. And on the handle she noticed tiny little marks she ran her fingers over it. “What are these?” she whispered. He was quiet for a heartbeat. “It’s the number of days you were gone, Beth."


	4. All I Ever Wanted Was To Know That You Were Dreaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth fingered the knife in her hands and let the divots tell their story. The indents traveled down the hilt but she didn't bother counting 'em. She remembered every day she was away. When she finally looked up Daryl was searching her face for some kind of expression, something to tell him this was the right move. This had been something so private to him, a very intimate way to keep Beth alive every day to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the really short chapters, I figured it's better to just get out what I have then let it linger unpublished for weeks. Anyways, I hope y'all are enjoying this!

Beth fingered the knife in her hands and let the divots tell their story. The indents traveled down the hilt but she didn't bother counting 'em. She remembered every day she was away. When she finally looked up Daryl was searching her face for some kind of expression, something to tell him this was the right move. This had been something so private to him, a very intimate way to keep Beth alive every day to him.

Daryl wasn't the type of man to showcase his feelings, he barely spoke Beth's name the whole time she was away. It wasn't until the night he was with Carol and they saw the car with the crosses on the back that he finally spoke her name. 

"I am trying here, Beth." He spoke quietly to her. 

For a moment Beth thought about it all, about all they'd been through. How much her life had changed. How a few months ago she had worried so much about what she was missing since the world had changed. But in this moment, she realized this was exactly how it was all supposed to be. Daryl was exactly where she was supposed to end up. Love wasn't just kissin' in the back of a car, or grand gestures she had seen in movies. It was the small things, the intimate things that belonged only to two people. That belonged to them. The sweetest moments that were kept safe when it all seemed so bad. She had thought about Daryl every single day while she was at Grady. She thought she was stupid for thinking he missed her, and as she ran her fingers over each divots she realized it wasn't stupid of her for keeping hope alive. That he remembered her every single day. 

A few moments pass before Beth decides to speak, she's still staring at the ground, "I just want us to be good. I ain't expectin' you to give me anything you aren't able to give." She finally looked up to him and brushed her tears away. She let out a laugh before whispering, "Daryl, this is the sweetest thing anyone's every done for me. Would you make fun of me if I said I loved you?"

Daryl paused and let out a small laugh before turning his face away, "Stop that" he nudged her. She wasn't expecting him to take it seriously, but deep down she meant it. She thought to herself that she would wait as long as she needed to just to hear those exact words, but in the meantime she would let him show his love in different ways. Like the marks in his knife, each divot a symbol of how strong his feelings were for her. Feeling Daryl's gentle nudge gave Beth a sense of relief, she breathed a small laugh before remembering she'd given nothing to him to showcase her commitment to him. She jumped with the idea of singing his favorite song, "Daryl, what's your favorite song?"

The man took a few steps away and gazed off into the distance, his shoulders were relaxing and he felt a calmness washing over him. He thought long and hard about his favorite song, it had been a long time since he'd thought about anything he did before this shit storm started. Every song he thought of was just a memory of Merle, he never really was in charge of the radio. Merle always had Motorhead playin', but the few times Daryl was alone and could listen to some tunes he always enjoyed Stevie Nicks. He turned quickly at the thought, "You know, I really liked Stevie Nicks." It occurred to him that Beth may not even know who she or Fleetwood Mac were. He was ready to give another name when Beth blurted out, "I love Stevie Nicks! My mama listened to her all the time, I know all her songs." Pride plastered across her face. Daryl let out a short laugh, "I was worried you wouldn't know who she was."

Beth laughed so hard she was nearly doublin' over, "Daryl, I know I'm pretty young but you'd have to live under a rock to not know who Stevie Nicks is. She's still the coolest." Beth had fell over laughing, after several moments she straightened herself out and pushed her hand against his shoulders to balance herself. She was trying to control her giggles as Daryl just watched in wonder. It had been so long since he'd made someone laugh, it had been even longer since he'd let himself laugh, too. He allowed himself a few small ones, "Don't you make fun of me Beth Greene, I'm an old man."

Without thinking about it Beth wrapped her arms around Daryl's neck, she lifted her body up on her toes and kissed Daryl ever so lightly. She pressed her lips against his just for a moment before pulling away. "Can we go inside your tent now?" 

Daryl looked down at her, she was the most beautiful thing he'd seen in his life, "You're damn beautiful, Beth." She giggled at the compliment, "So, is that a yes?"

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The inside of Daryl's tent was exactly what you'd expect it to be. He only kept the essentials, there was hardly anything inside to make it his own. He had a small leather backpack in the corner and nothing by ground to sleep on. He'd only just started using' a tent because Carol wouldn't let up about it gettin' cold soon. Beth crawled on her knees and sat inside the space, she did a look around before lockin' eyes with Daryl. He had crawled in right behind her but stayed kneelin' with his arm resting on his propped up knee. 

"Well, ain't this homey," He could tell the girl was being sarcastic, but he didn't know how to respond. "Sorry, I could go and fin' some blankets if you're cold?" The girl only shook her head and gestured for him to move closer, "Just come lay down with me."

It took Daryl only a few seconds to decide he wanted to hold her. He moved and sat down right beside her and watched as she nuzzled up to him. She grabbed his arm and wrapped it around her, 'This is nice" she breathed out a sigh. She could feel Daryl trying to enjoy this but his body was tense against her and he wouldn't stop fidgeting. "Daryl, stop movin' around!"

He paused for a moment before unwrapping his arms from Beth, "Sorry, just never really held someone like this before." Beth turned her body around so she could look up into his face, "It's okay, you just need to relax. We don't have to do this though, we can just talk. I'd like that too. We can play 'I've Never' again?" She gave Daryl a quick little smile at the last suggestion, hoping he'd want to play. 

"I dunno about all that, that could end in trouble." The look on Daryl's face gave Beth so much satisfaction, he was goddamn flirtin' with her. "Daryl, are you flirting with me?" She couldn't help but laugh when she saw his cheeks get a little rosy. " 'course not! Wouldn't know how if I tried" Beth rolled her eyes and laughed at Daryl's pretty decent attempt at flirting, "You never told me your favorite song?" She had adjusted her body now to sit cross-legged in front of him. He folded her hand in her lap and waited patiently for him to answer. "Don't suppose I have one." Daryl's answer was quick, he found a twig on the ground and distracted himself. "Well, you said you liked Stevie Nicks? What songs you like from her?" The man just dug into the mud and shrugged his shoulders, "I bet you like, Sara!" Before Daryl could confirm she sang a few bars. "Nope, but that's a nice one" Beth hung her head, she thought about more songs. "Oh, I know your song Daryl Dixon. " Beth Greene straightened up and cleared her throat, "Your favorite song is Dreams" and the girls voice hummed a low beat before singing out the lyrics. 

Now here you go again  
You say you want your freedom  
Well who am I to keep you down  
It's only right that you should  
Play the way you feel it  
But listen carefully to the sound  
Of your loneliness  
Like a heartbeat.. drives you mad  
In the stillness of remembering what you had  
And what you lost...

,

When she finished she smiled and reached out for Daryl hand, "Come on, that has to be it!"

"It might be. But why don't you come here. I think I'm finally ready to hold you. I'm gettin' tired" 

Beth Greene sighed before crawling back over to Daryl, cozying up against his chest letting her head rest on him. "I didn't realize how sleepy I was", She finished her sentence with a loud yawn. 

Daryl's body was warm and inviting this time, he wrapped his arms around her and lay back against the soft ground. So many night's he'd stayed up thinking about holding Beth Greene and here he was, finally doing it. He could hear the girls breath steadying and he could tell she had fallen asleep. He smiled knowing she must had been fightin' sleep the whole time. She was such a stubborn ass, but that's what drove him crazy. He felt his eye grow heavy and as he started to fall asleep thought about waking up with her in his arms. This had been the first time in his whole life he'd looked forward to waking up.

 


	5. Gotta keep runnin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure you are all with me and trying to recover from the unspeakable betrayal of last nights episode. So please, enjoy my fic. It's now obviously, an AU since Beth will not be dying anytime soon for me. Sorry if this is another shorty. I stayed up all night trying to write, I'm still so hurt. But I feel like I owe it to Beth to finish her story and give her the justice she was so blatantly robbed of. This chap isn't exactly finished, I still need to edit it a bit but enjoy none the less.

Beth was lost in a dream when she heard a gunshot ring in the distance. Her eyes sprung open and she reached for the knife in her holster still attached to her hips. She sat up abruptly and surveyed her surroundings, the tent that had been so dark and barren before was just as empty in the daylight. She quietly pulled her boots on and got up on her feet. She could barely see out the slit of the tent but she saw feet runnin' and voices shouting. She could hear Daryl off in the distance screaming for Rick. Right then, Beth decided she needed to get out of this tent before someone she didn't like found her. She grabbed Daryl's bag and threw whatever she could find in it, water jug, spare knife, his only other shirt and latched the top. She was sweating and could feel the sweat stingin' her eyes. She wiped her eyes and then she hear something tearing behind her. The tail end of the tent was suddenly being ripped apart with a knife, "What have we got in here." A tall, very thin man with scars up around his throat smiled his way into her tent. 

Beth saw the man lunge for her and she didn't hesitate. She met his lunge with one of her own and drove her knife right into the mans neck. She went down with him and watched the man gasp for breath. She must have been screaming because suddenly what was left of the tent was ripped away and something grabbed her arm, "Gotta run, Greene. Com'on" 

Beth can't remember how long they'd been runnin' but it was dark out and she felt like she had to puke. "Didn't think we'd be on our own again this soon" Daryl's voice was hoarse. He was leaned up against a tree breathing hard. Beth didn't respond instead she looked around, she had no idea where they were. How far they'd run. "Where are we?" She choked on half of her sentence, her throat was so dry. Daryl took a moment to look up tot he sky, "bout twenty five miles from where we'd camped." Beth was completely shocked, she had no idea they'd gone that far but she was just runnin' she had been so scared she'd followed Daryl so close behind that she thought they would run over the top of each other. 

"What happened, Daryl", Beth's legs were shaky she needed water. She was fighting back tears when she started to walk towards him. "Please, who were those guys." Daryl just shook his head, "I dunno, they came outta nowhere. Said they'd" He'd stopped, "Said what? What did they say?" Beth inched closer, staring Daryl down until he answer,"Said' they'd heard us las' night. Heard you singing." Daryl looked down at the ground. Refusing to see her eyes empty, to see her eyes fight off all the guilt that was boiling over.

'This..." she paused, swallowing the bile rising up in her throat. "This oh god, this was my fault?" She felt her knee's give out and she was grabbing fist full of dirt for comfort. Her body was hunched forward, forehead pressed against the dirt. Everything hurt, she could feel herself dry heaving but there was nothing to throw up. A low voice whispered to her,"Bethy" it was the first time he'd ever called her anything remotely affectionate, it'd caught her off guard. She suddenly stopped sobbing and looked at him. He'd squatted down right in front of her, "Hey, it ain't your fault. But we gotta keep movin'" and with that he grabbed her arms and lifted her on her feet and brushed a few tears away, "You're strong, Greene. We'll be fine"  
====================================

When the finally stopped for the night they were right up against a river bank. Daryl was gripping his sides and searching the bank for any sign of movement. Beth Greene had absolutely no time to care about anything else besides taking her shirt and jeans off and running into the river. They'd been running all day and she was disgusting. When Daryl noticed she'd taken them off he'd quickly turned around, making his way back over to her clothes. He picked them up and placed them gently on a rock. Beth laughed at Daryl's shyness, "Daryl, I still got some clothes on you don't gotta act like I'm naked" He didn't say a word just shrugged and kept his back turned. "You really ain't gonna get in? You could use a rinse you smelly ass." Daryl quickly shot around, "'Ey, I ain't smelly", Beth let herself sink under the water and blow some bubbles up with laughter. When she came back up Daryl was watching nervously from the edge, "Daryl, I know howda swim!" He took a few steps back from the edge and sat on a rock, the moonlight was high and lit up the riverbank brightly. "So you really ain't gonna get in with me? Please Daryl. You can stay on your side. In case you think I'mma start trouble" Beth's smile was anything but innocent. Daryl only looked down and gave a short laugh. "Alright, but you gotta stay on your side. She gave him a quick nod, 'Yes Mr. Dixon."

Daryl gave the youngest Greene a smirk before telling her to turn round, "Oh, so you're too shy to get undressed in front of me now?" She waded in the water until she heard a splash and turned back around. Daryl had swam over to her and was only a shot distance away. "This seem's like a good spot, gotta stay where you are though, Greene." 

They sat there in the water for a moment not speaking, Beth's eyes barely above the water just staring at Daryl. She finally lifted her head up, "What are we gonna do now?"

"Gonna find the group, I s'pose" Beth Greene felt a little surge of boldness and drifted closer to him. She could see him tense up. "You think we'll find 'em?" before Daryl answered he'd splashed some water on his face almost instantly cleaning some of the dirt and grime from the day. "Yep, they ain't got that far. Holler'd to Rick before we left for a mettin' spot. It's still a few miles away. Somewhere secret." Beth nodded her head, "Why'd we leave without every one?" Beth's question was quiet, she knew why they did. You can't go runnin' in one big group. You always split up and always find each other later. 

Daryl watched Beth's expressions for several moments before finally deciding to answer, "I had to protect you. I couldn't lose ya again."

Beth decided she couldn't stand the distance and swam over to Daryl. For a brief moment he moved back, but stopped just as quickly to let Beth latch on to him and rest her head on his shoulders, "I'm so thankful to have you, Daryl Dixon" She held onto him tight and waited for his hands to wrap around and hold her. He didn't respond he just buried his face in her crook of her neck and breathed her in. The water had washed away all of the worry of the day and all that was left was something so distinctively her. It was so comforting and he felt himself press a small kiss to the inside of her neck," 'Morrow we'll head out to the meetin' point, we'll get 'em back. I promise." Beth turned her face so she could look into his eyes, she brushed the strands of hair that always hung low on his forehead and placed them behind his ears. She looked thoughtfully into Daryl Dixon's eyes for a long time before smiling, 'You know, I just wanna kiss you right now. It seem's pretty romantic don't it?" 

Daryl only let out a light laugh and pressed his lips against Beth's. She hadn't been expectin' him to do it, but she didn't fight it at all, she just sat back and let Daryl kiss her. 

When Daryl finally pulled away Beth's eyes were still closed and she had the biggest smile plastered on her face, "Wha's that smile for?" Daryl demanded. Beth peaked out of one eye to see Daryl's face with a small smile waiting for an answer, 'Aren't we just a damn romance novel, Daryl Dixon" 

And then something happened that Beth had wanted for so long. She finally heard Daryl laugh. _Hard._


	6. These scars ain't who we are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Sorry it took me a while to update this chapter! I hope you enjoy it. I also decided to give Beth a larger scar on her face, a little nod to Andrea. Plus, I want to use that as part of beth's change from s4 to now :) I'm sorry if I haven't replied to your comments. I've been really busy, work, life... writing Metas about how Beth Greene is still alive on tumblr. Ha! Anyways, please enjoy. Also, if you have any ideas of what you'd like to see in this fic please let me know! I still have no end game or plot so I would appreciate any ideas if you have them. At this point, I'm mostly writing for you guys. So steer the ship my friends! :)

They floated in the water for a long time, white moonlight glistening over the tops of the water. Every so often one of them would hold on to the other a little tighter. They hadn't spoken since their laughs had faded to very small, sporadic giggles that soon turned into quiet whispers and then into stillness. Beth was tracing the raised scars on his back, his body had tensed when she'd first started but soon that tightness loosened and his body stopped protesting and let her feel every groove and every painful moment from his past. "The scars make you who you are." Beth finally whispered, "But they aren't all we are." She left her head resting on his shoulders. She didn't need to look at him to know he understood. "I have scars too, now.'' Her voice was small, on the verge of tears but refusing to let them fall. "Thos'cars mean youra' survivor, ya made it", Daryl tilted his head around to try and find her eyes. She lifted her cheek off his arm and looked into his, the marks on her cheek raised up and casted the smallest shadow on her skin. The scars that branded her face were a constant reminder of what had happened at Grady. She'd survived, but just barely, she thought. Daryl pulled his arm away from her waist and brought them up to her face and ran his own hand softly over the scar that went from the hairline close to her ear down to her mouth. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, scars and all." Beth gave him a weak smile and grabbed Daryl's hand so she could lace her fingers with his. "Now I look tough, huh?" She was trying to make light of the situation as it had become so serious and she was afraid of crying and ruining their moment. "Ya always been tough, girl. But those scars'al make people think twice." He pressed a small kiss over the corner of her mouth where the scar met her lip. He let himself rest there for a moment, he'd never allowed himself to be this intimate with anyone before but there was something about Beth that made him not feel afraid. To be able to show this side of himself was something that didn't come easy, but he wanted to feel something. This was all new and usually he would feel timid- not want to make the first move. But he wasted time not telling her how he felt at that funeral home, all that time she was gone that now they were together he didn't want to mess it up by being scared. 

He pushed his face against her neck and took a deep breath that was interrupted by a rustling in the bushes. They'd been way too lucky to not runnin' into a single walker all day. They'd been getting further away from Atlanta and the walker herds were more sporadic up here since everyone had migrated south when the infection had started. Daryl's head shot up and he gently pushed Beth's body away from him. His face searched the tree line for any movement. He'd felt so stupid for letting himself get so wrapped up in her that he'd stopped checking the area. As quietly as he could he made his way to the edge of the water and slowly rose. He found Beth's jeans and pulled the knife from the holster. Daryl gestured with a hand over his shoulder for her to get out of the water quietly. She'd remembered their code from the time they'd spent together before. Daryl had a code for everything, and before when she hated him, she hated his codes even more. But she'd almost gotten them killed a few times for not listening, but now--now she understood the importance. She slowly made her way out of the water and found the bag she'd packed the extra weapons in. She grabbed a short, jagged hunting knife and made her way to Daryl who was nearly at the tree line. 

The moonlight was playing games on them now, the white light was causing shadows to dance along the tree's making everything look like an enemy. The duo walked with eyes peeled down the tree line, splitting the area between them but keeping each other in eye shot. Daryl trusted Beth could take care of herself and have his back. He wanted to protect her, naturally, but in this moment and in this world you had to trust that your partner was strong enough to have your back when the time came. Daryl let out a short whistle that was meant only for Beth, a code that stated it was all clear on his end. The noise had probably been an animal, if they were lucky he'd be able to find it close by and they could get some food in their bellies. He'd make sure Beth was settled before he went and hunted. He couldn't wait to finally eat, he'd remembered how starving he was now they were out of the water. He'd started to make his way back over to the girl who was still in her undies and bra. She was holding this huntin' knife and ready to kill. When she'd heard his whistle she'd turned to him and made her own whistle back. Smile plastered on her face knowing how silly she'd looked right now, "Well you aren't lookin' away now, are you Mr. Dixon" Daryl let himself smile, he definitely liked what he saw but didn't want to be rude, so he walked over to her clothes and set her knife down. Damn girl was always trying to get to him. "Daryl Dixon, don't you go actin' all shy..." Beth's sentence was caught short, Daryl had put his head down for a moment when a man jumped from the bushes and tackled Beth. Her body went flying to the ground and the mans hands were around her thin throat. Daryl was charging over grabbing the mans shirt and throwing him off her. The attacker reached for his own knife but Daryl's advance was too quick, so the stranger threw a punch that landed on Daryl's chin knocking him back on his ass. Beth had gotten up off the ground and jumped onto the strangers back, wrapping her legs as tightly as she could so he wouldn't be able to throw her off. She reached around and dragged her knife over his throat, feeling the jagged edges catch on his skin and split open. The man started to crumple and she road the fall down. His face was pressed into the dirt as she straddled his back, breathing heavy with tears falling down her face. The spray from his throat had left a iron taste in the air. 

Daryl had started to stand up and make his way over to her as she stood up, legs shaking with a glassed over look in her eyes. "He was gonna... He was... I... I'm sorry... He..." She couldn't get the words out. She didn't want to kill him but it had been their lives or his and good people can't survive this world without a little blood on their hands. "Is'alright Beth, is'alright." He reached for her stumbling body, there was no more confidence like she'd had a moment ago walking towards him. Her body moving with her hips swaying to embarrass Daryl, to make him want her. Now she was this scared girl with blood on her hands. He pulled her body in close and took the knife, "is'alright, let's get you dressed." 

Beth sat in silence for hours and Daryl didn't try to push it. Someone like Beth wasn't made for killin' but he knew she'd had to at Grady but that didn't mean she'd be okay with it now. "I killed two people today,'' she finally spoke. "I killed the man who found me in the tent today. I didn't think about it. I didn't even think about his until now. I just killed him before he could kill me. That's what I was thinkin' about." Daryl didn't say anything, it was her time to talk and he was there to listen. "Killin' walkers ain't the same. He was gonna kill me, you, us." She finally looked up from the ground to find Daryl watching her, "I had to do it, right?" Daryl shook his head, he never thought about it anymore. Killing was part of this life. He didn't let it get to him, but he understood that Beth didn't want to lose herself. Didn't want to lose that goodness left in her, and every time she took a life it chipped away at it. "You saved my life. He woulda killed me and you, and it would have been worse for you." He didn't mean to scare her but it was the truth. She shook her head, she knew he was right. "You should get some rest, we gotta start up at first light." Daryl stood up and made his way over to where she'd been resting up against the trust of the tree and kneeled down next to her. "You saved my life, Greene." And kissed the top of her head.


End file.
